


Under the Willow

by Bates



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Angst, Character Death, F/F, Fem!Cas, Female Castiel, Happy Ending, M/M, Secret Santa, Violence, hetero!deancas, mentor!John, tribute!Castiel, tribute!Dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-01 11:11:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2770886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bates/pseuds/Bates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castielle Novak is a shy, reserved girl. Even though she comes from a big family, she doesn't like it when attention is brought to her. That is, until the Capitol sends her to the Hunger Games.<br/>With forty-seven other highly competent people, her chances of surviving are dangerously low. That is until Dean Winchester decides, <em>fuck It,</em> if two people can win, they better go home together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> My secret santa gift for shieldsam over at [Tumblr](http://shieldsam.tumblr.com). It was wonderful getting to talk to you Catherine! Hope you enjoy your fic.

Out of the East never see the sunrise  
Spoon fed peace, swallowing knives  
We know that promise is sweet but it’s laced with venom  
And we’re their livin sacrifice, ohh  
 **The Hanging Tree - Tyler Ward ft. Alyson Stoner**

 

The night before reaping day was long and cold. Castielle had pulled three blankets over her body, but she was still shivering under the covers. Tomorrow would be better, she knew that, knew that if she just got through reaping, things would be, _better_. She couldn't shake the feeling through, the slight fear that crept up on her every reaping day.

               Cas was worried, even though the fear wasn't supposed to be there. She was the last one in their family to be able to get chosen, her youngest brother had been forced to attend his last reaping last year. She would be all alone in the crowd today.

               But she had nothing to worry about, right? Things would be okay. They had to be.

               Cas was still… petrified. It wasn’t the right word for it, not completely, but it was close enough to the anxiousness that she felt. This year would be different, everybody knew that. Not one, but two tributes of every gender were send into the arena. Forty-eight people waiting to be killed, only forty-six to actually die.

               And the bloody trick of it all was, even the ones who returned were good as dead. Death in the arena was a way to die. Not peaceful, but, better than what the tributes coming back faced. They were off so much worse, with nightmares and sadness, bounds of depression. Castielle had seen it before, in John Winchester. Seen how broken somebody could really be.

               “Fix you shirt,” Anna instructed gently, before sighing and undoing the buttons that Cas had done up wrong. “You're awfully dreamy today.” Anna new though, knew the anxiousness that accompanied the reaping. Anna had only gotten out of being reaped two years ago, the memories were still clear.

               “I, I know. Sorry.”                                   

               “You are safe, Castielle. Don’t worry.” She squeezed his shoulder and even though the gesture was meant reassuring, it really wasn’t. ‘There’s people whose name is in that bowl more often than they can count.” The unspoken words hung in the air: ' _if there's anybody who is surely going in, it's the people who need the Tesserae'_

               “I know, Anna.” Cas swallowed away his doubts as best as he could. “We should probably get going. If we want to get there in time.”

 

The center was buzzing with people. The process of checking in was long and dragging. At least last year, Cas had had her youngest - but still older than her – brother Gabriel there. It had calmed her down at least a little bit, knowing that well, maybe, there was somebody that she could look at, somebody in the mass around her that knew her well enough to smile at her at the right moments.

               Castielle's family was in the crowd, somewhere, but she couldn’t find them and it freaked her out maybe just a little. The girls were up first, she would be the one that could be picked first. On one side, they could, well, get it over with. If they would be last, she would only worry longer, but, well, that didn’t mean that she liked being first up. Everything was going to be okay. Cas kept repeating the words over and over again, until she believed them. Not that she actually did, nothing was going to be okay. _Nothing_.

               Cas zoned out long enough to miss Eve’s annoying talking and the wig, which was now sitting crooked on her head. He didn’t know what had happened to it but knew that she was probably trying to compose herself. There was always at least one thing that went askew with her wigs or make-up or something. For all that Castielle knew and cared, she had just put it on wrong. End of the world for her, something funny to look back on in the Capitol.

               “Charlie Bradbury,” she called out, folding the little paper again and putting it next to the bowl. He knew her, knew the sixteen year old redhead from the scene. She looked tiny walking next to the peacekeepers. She was clearly nervous, but not at all like he had thought she would be. It was almost as if she had expected it.

               Cas had seen her around a few times. She knew that they had a difficult situation going on with Charlie’s mom, that she didn’t have anyone left to survive. Or at least, barely anybody. Maybe, she wanted to die. The thought caused a pang in his heart. The girl was brave. Braver than most people were, especially at that age and well, especially being the way that she was.

               She and her girlfriend had to withstand a lot of critic looks and disapproving glances. They were subject of all gossip for at least two weeks before things finally toned down. He felt sorry for them. It wasn’t like you could decide whether you were straight or not. It wasn’t a choice. A person can hardly decide if he or she is into women or men. It was all just a sick joke of faith.

               Her breath got stuck in her throat as Eve reached in the bowl again. Her fingers closed around a slip and god, the minutes seemed to drag into hours as she took it in her hands and unfolded it. _Please don’t say Castielle Novak, please don’t say Castielle Novak, please don’t say Castielle Novak._

_She repeated the words like a personal mantra, not that they helped. She could feel her blood freeze in her veins as the first syllabels of the name rolled over her lips._

               “Castielle Novak.”

 

 

 

Cas had thought that she would panic, would freak out or something when her name was pulled out of the bowl. Every time she dreamt, she dreamt of herself freaking out at the mention of her name, hell, even if she just thought about the dream, she could feel the slight tremor spread through her.

               What she felt now? It was quite the contrary. She felt numb almost, as if the words hadn’t reached her just yet. Castielle barely noticed it as she walked forwards, stepped up the stairs to the podium. The wood creaked under her steps ever so slightly as she stood beside the redhead. Charlie threw her a sorry smile, but she shouldn’t be the one send her that smile.

               “Now our girls are chosen, let us move along.” Eve stepped over to the bowl with the boys names a lot faster than she had seemed to do with the girl names. Her hand hovered a little, before picking the first slip of paper. The slip that could decide how her chances would be in the arena.

               “DanielMcCarty.” The name didn’t ring a bell, not immediately, but when she saw the scrawny twelve year old boy step up the stage, whole figure of him shaking. She felt sorry for the little boy, felt sorry for the way that he was shaking, sorry for how bad that he was feeling, but she could hardly reach out for him. It would be, not good.

               “And now, for our last tribute.” Eve reached into the bowl one last time and took out the slip. Her eyes widened a little, before the sly smile crept up her lips. “Sam Winchester.”

               The huff that sounded through the crowd this time was audible. John Winchester, mentor for the tributes paled visibly. It almost looked as if he was going to say something, as if he was going to mention something, say that it wasn’t fair, but he just clasped his mouth shut and stayed silent.

               “No.” A familiar voice came from the crowd, though Castielle couldn’t recognize the voice, not immediatly. “No. Sammy.” Cas turned around to the voice and the person that belonged to it. The oldest Winchester stood there, face pale and hands trembling. “Sammy.”

               He composed himself after that, letting his brother go for the stage. Sam was four years younger than Cas, but already almost taller than she was. It made Cas feel tiny and well, like she would be death on the first day. Which, true be told, was most certainly possible. She wasn't fast, she didn't have the skills that the Hunter’s kids had.

               “Are there any volunteers?” It was a loaded question and it always stayed unanswered. People cared about the fact that there was kid going in, but they didn’t care enough to go in for them. It was never that way. Not even brothers or sisters did, the love for another sibling only went that far.

               “I volunteer.” The boy’s voice sounded loud in the silence of the square. Heads turned to the older Winchester boy, the looks on their faces, disturbed. From where he was standing, Cas could see John Winchester’s trembling hands and the pained expression in his eyes.

               The peacekeepers took the boy up front, letting Sam back into the crowd. Cas didn't miss the tears in his eyes as Dean walked on the stage, reluctantly stopping next to Eve.

               "What's your name?"

               "Dean Winchester." If Cas's ears didn't betray him, the man had tears in his voice.

               "That must be your brother," Eve said, a sly smile on her lips. "Didn't want him to steal your glory huh?" And really, she couldn't be much more wrong than with that statement. Cas knew Dean, even if it was only by watching from the distance, even if it was just from being there in the background when Dean defended his big eyed baby brother. Dean would never go in the Games because he didn't want Sammy to walk away with the fame. The sole suggestion of that made Cas queasy. No way that Dean could ever do that. He cared to much for his little brother.

 

The sick thing was that, before sending them all in to kill each other, they had to shake hands. Almost like, yeah, get to know each other, you’ll have to kill each other soon enough anyway. All four of them would be cooped up in close quarters soon enough, at least now, they had some last freedom now, when they were about to say goodbye.

               Saying goodbye… It made Castielle’s stomach turn in disgust. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her brothers or sister, to her parents. Cas _knew_ that when she went into the arena, that she wouldn’t be coming back out, she knew that in the deepest of her heart, but didn’t say a word about it. It would be misplaced, it wouldn’t be right.

               “Cas.” Anna entered the room first, joined by Gabriel and Lucifer. “God Cas.” She didn’t even reply, she just bit back her tears as Gabriel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You gotta promise me something kiddo.”

               Gabriel turned her face up so Cas had no choice but to look at him. “What?”

               “You come back home, you got me?” He forced her to keep looking. “I don’t care how you come home, how bloody you have to fight. But you come back.” She tried to look away from him, but his hand kept her from moving away. “Promise me.”

               “I promise.” Gabriel had to know that she didn’t really mean it, but let her go anyway.

               “Good, and you mean that, okay? Damn Cassie."

               “You can do this, you know,” Lucifer said behind Gabe, throwing her a warm smile. “You’ve got Winchester on your team. If there is anybody that you could count on, count on him.”

Castielle tried to make a point in not crying while her family or anybody was there, but she just couldn’t. Her friends, Hannah and Jo coming by was enough to reduce the three of them to a sobbing mess. They didn’t say anything in the little bit of time that they were allowed for each other, the only thing that they did was hold on to each other.

               “I’ll see you,” she promised when the two girls were forced to leave. “Okay, I’ll see you.” Her voice wavered one last time, before she shut herself off to the world around her.

               Castielle didn’t know when she had realized that she was good at blocking out her emotions, but what she did know was that it had become a second nature in the past couple of years. Not that she blocked them that much with her parents or brothers around, but at school or when just going out? It was almost all she did.

               Life in District Twelve wasn’t easy, not for them, but most certainly not for the others, the ones who had way less. The Novak family had been lucky, they had some money, could get around with what they had. It was better than most if not all families. They didn’t have to use the Tessarae, they had two working parents that made enough to get them some security.

               Castielle was distracted as they brought her off to the train that they would be boarding. All four of them stood outside of the train for a few minutes before boarding it, forcing to smile for all the camera’s. Only when the train doors slid closed and the train started moving, did they relax ever so slightly.  Everybody was still tense, but at least some of the tension crawled out of their shoulders.


	2. Two

When the tide comes and wets the embers,  
Of the fire you tried to keep,  
Just remember, that I will wait for you,  
With these tears of blood I weep.

**Tears of Blood - Ron Pope**

 

Castielle hid in her room until it was time for dinner to be served. It was huge, probably bigger than her own room back in District Twelve, multiplied by three. It was just crazy, too luxurious. The bed was nice, which was a plus and she guessed that she'd probably abuse the shower while she could use it, but it still felt artificial. Almost as if the Capitol already wanted to rub it in, let the 'poor' people from the districts know that yes, it was their own fault they didn't have all this luxury. That if they hadn't rebelled, perhaps they could have this luxury too.

            She felt just a little bit weird wearing her clothing from the reaping, felt like they were out of place and just generally wrong. Soon enough, they'd be training and in the arena, the chances that she would ever go back there. It almost felt like a waste that she still had them, after all, they were Anna's. She had only borrowed them, with the thought that she could give them back the next day. Now, there wouldn't be no giving back. Probably at least. She could hardly ask John to keep them safe and bring them back to Anna.

           She only got out of her room though, because Eve came to practically drag her out. The courses that they were offered were enormous. Castielle certainly wasn't the only one there who was quite stunned by the food. The little boy, Daniel, had almost finished his plate, while the others had barely started theirs. Charlie too ate like there would be no more tomorrow.

            Cas felt almost sick as she started her food, the nausea still there. She'd be okay soon enough, just not right now. Dean, looked withdrawn too, but ate like the others did, spooning forkfuls into his mouth before chewing. Eve looked at them with a pleased smile before starting to eat, not bothering to disturb the almost comfortable silence that hung in the room.

            She just poked her food a bit, taking a ginger bite every few minutes, so the others or John wouldn't complain about it. Cas still managed finishing half of her plate, which was a accomplishment by itself. After their food, Eve cleared her throat, before speaking.

            “I see we’ll be having some dynamics this year,” she said, awfully cheerful considering the mood in the room. “With Dean here after all and John, double the number of tributes too. Talking about your father, where is he? He disappeared on us.”

            “Here.” A gruff voice sounded from behind them. John stepped in the room. “No need to miss me, you know.” He sounded annoyed enough to be annoyed by Eve, but then again, who wasn’t. Each and every one of them in that room looked like they were about ready to throw her out of the moving train.

            “I was thinking,” Eve quipped, certainly not happy to be talked to that way. "That we could get to know them. With four tributes to get ready for their... performances." She looked over each and every one of them, mostly looking just that bit curious. "We will have a busy schedule coming up. I think it would be wise to start already. At least get to know them."

            "Yeah, sure." Cas was pretty positive that John wasn't happy that she had beat him to that, judging from the look that he threw her. "Good idea Eve. So, I know my son." He looked at Dean, who tried everything not to look at his father. "The others? Not so much. So, let's start before we waste any more time."

            "I. I don't know," Charlie started when he looked at her, not entirely happy with getting John's attention. “I guess, I don’t know?”

            “According to class, you’re smart as can be.” The words ran over her lips before she could stop them and really, she didn’t want to stop them. “You’re top of the class.” Cas didn’t miss the surprised look that Charlie threw her.

            “Sneaky too,” Dean chimed in, a gentle look in his eyes. “Hiding your relationship that long in a district that knows everything within seconds? That's top sneaking around if you ask me." Charlie was full on blushing now.

            "True?"

            "I guess, yeah."

            "Good." John nodded in approval. "Sneaking can come in very handy in the arena. The ones who survive the longest, they are the ones who are sneaky, know when the run. Daniel?" His gaze turned to the little boy, actually softening a little. "How about you?"

            "I can climb." The boy blurted the words. "And, uh, hide?" He seemed to be doubtful. "That's not that much though, I can't fight."

            "Anybody can be taught how to fight." Eve actually smiled at the boy. "Not everybody can be taught to hide and climb."

            "You're small," John said, almost reluctant to admit that Eve was at least right about that. "You can climb. Taller and heavier people won't be able to get where you can get. That's good." He again nodded, though Cas suspected that it was more to settle Daniel. After all, Sam was about Daniel's age. It would be easy for John to imagine his other kid sitting there.

            Cas figured that the boy wouldn't last long though. It didn't matter if it made her heart clench a little. Twelve years was too young to go into the arena and have an actual fighting chance. Damn Capitol.

            "Castielle?" Eve asked her, drawing her attention back to her. "You with us here girl?"

            "Yeah. Sorry." She hadn't even noticed that she had drifted off that easily. "Uh. What was the question?"

            "Talents. What are yours?" She had to think about this. All the talents that the others had mentioned, she lacked. She wasn't strong, couldn't hide as well as Daniel probably could. She didn't have Charlie's intellect - not at all if she was honest.

            "I... don't know." She avoided John's look as she said so. "I'm not good at hiding or fighting."

            "Running." Dean didn't even look up from his cup of hot chocolate as he said it. "She's good at running." He bit his lip before continuing, as if he was hiding a smile. "You know the girl that I had a thing with a little while ago dad? Her name was Lisa? We had this running competition thing at school a little while ago and you know she _loves_ running. So, I go, sure that Lisa'll win because I can hardly keep up with her when she starts running. But no, Castielle here wins. She out ran her _easily_ and Lisa was so pissed about it for weeks. I swear, weeks."

            "Yeah," Charlie said, in agreement. And sure, if that didn't make her want to hide from the attention that she was getting.

            "So, running?"            

            "I guess." She sighed as she thought about it. "I uh, can do snares? And trip wires? My brother, Gabriel, showed me how to work them, in case I'd ever need them." She had to hold back the chuckle. "I used to go out for runs every morning. He thought that knowing them might help me, uh, hold back unwanted attention. Don't ask me why."

John nodded, probably for the hundredth time that day. "Good. We might have a chance this year. I think. Good." He rubbed his face, as if he wanted to ease away a headache. "I don't think there's a lot left to do today. The most important thing is that you all rest before we hit the Capitol." He looked at each and every one of them. "Make sure you are rested."

 

They all abandoned the dining room about simultaneously. Eve left for her room - she had enough of the busyness - as one of the first, next Daniel and Charlie left, before John and Dean too left.

            Castielle was left alone in the dining room and well, she guessed that it could be worse. At least it was calm and she had hot chocolate to warm her up. Not even caring that there were still some people walking in and out, she kicked off her shoes and curled up in one of the sofa's, her cup held close. It wasn't home, couldn't offer her that support and comfort, but it was something.

            "Hi, mind the company?" A cheery voice asked behind her. Charlie.

            "No, uh, sure," she murmured, turning away from the window to look at the redhead. "Not like there's that much privacy here."

            "Yeah, just, you know, figured I'd ask."

            "Thanks." Cas forced a smile on her lips.

            "I just, uh, wanted to thank you Castielle, for that vote of confidence earlier," she stammered. "I wanted to thank Dean too, but he's not answering his door."

            "It's the truth. You're damn smart." Castielle finished her cup of hot chocolate. "He'll probably be out later. It has been a rough day for him, I guess."

            "For all of us."

            "I guess, yeah. I should probably listen to John and call it a night." She left her cup on the table. "It's going to be a long few weeks.”

            “Good night Castielle.”

            “Good night Charlie.”

 

Needless to say, Castielle didn’t sleep that night.  At home, she always fell asleep to the noises around her, people scurrying about, her brothers and Anna still up and doing, well, something. Cas didn't usually mingle in whatever they were doing. After all, they were old enough to move out.

            Around three AM, she eventually gave up on sleep and crawled out of bed. Nobody would probably be up anyway.

            However, when she entered the dining slash sitting room, there was already somebody there. She was kind of surprised when she heard the slight snoring though. Dean had seemed to be awake from far way. Apparently, he wasn't.

            She left him in his corner of the room, before sinking down in one of the chairs, watching the trees fly by through the window. Outside, you could hardly tell that they weren't in District Twelve anymore. The trees still looked the same, the way they passed by was exactly the same.

            Castielle guessed they were at District seven or six, at least half way through. Eve had told them last night that they would be arriving at the Capitol the next day or at least. She was actually quite anxious to get off the train. Cas couldn't quite shake that feeling of unease at moving without feeling that they were, indeed, moving.

            It was then, about an hour after getting up, that she heard the other boy stir and mutter, move in his seat. He was having a nightmare. For a minute, she debated letting him sleep versus waking him up, but after all, well, nightmares weren't pleasant.

            "Hi, Dean?" she whispered. He however, wasn't nearing waking up at all. "Dean?" She lightly touched his shoulder and when that didn't work, actually shook him.

            "What?"

            "You were having a nightmare," she whispered, voice already too loud in the islence of the train. "I, hope you don't mind me waking you up?" She couldn't help but bite her bottom lip, hoping that he wouldn't be too angry with her. He knew that some people didn't like being woken up, herself included.

            "No that's, thanks." He rubbed his eyes, before letting his eyes drift to the clock. It was only four AM. "What are you even doing up so early?"

            "I couldn't sleep," she sighed, before falling down in the couch across from him. "Stupid train is too silent. I can't sleep without the noise of home." Only after she said it did she realize just how pathetic it sounded.

            "I get you." Dean had a slight smile on her lips. "You have a big family back home, right?"

            "It's the four of us, if you don't count mom. Five if you count mom. You only have one brother, right?"

            "Yeah, that's right." He looked at her with a slight smile. "Sammy. Best damn kid."

            "I figured that, I didn't think that, well, that you'd volunteer for him if he wasn't, your brother and a good friend." Cas knew that she shouldn't bring it up, but aye, it was what had caused them to be in this horror show together, right?

            "I guess. Your siblings all too old or?" Dean trailed in his words, as if he didn't know what to say.

            "Yeah, they're all too old," she sighed, "Gabriel got out of the reaping last year. This is supposed to be my last year. Kind of asks for things to go wrong, right?" She shrugged. "I guess it's better this way though. At least Gabriel or any of the others didn't have to go in." What she didn't say that maybe, considering the fact that there were so many tributes this year, they might not show her death in full screen, her family might not see her corpse.

            If Dean caught onto her unspoken words, he didn't mention it. He just looked at her with a sort of sad smile, before nodding.

            "Yeah. I can't imagine what it would be like if Sammy went in. I'd be at home biting my nails off, waiting for him to get home."

            "Sam, he, you know, I think he would have had a great chance at winning, you too." She said the words so silently that she didn't even know if Dean heard her. "You're both tall, strong, know what it can be like in the arena. Hell, your father is your coach." Castielle didn't even realize that she was staring at her hands as she said it. "You would have both gotten great chances of going back out of there. Charlie too."

            Dean was silent for a while, counting this all in. "How about you Cas? I can say Cas right? Castielle is such a mouthful."

            "You can. I don't know. I don't see myself coming out of these games. I should leave you be." She stood up and walked back to her room. When she turned around, she could see that Dean wanted to say something, but she just ignored it.

 

That night, she managed to sleep for an hour before being woken up by a awful nightmare, one of the first that were going to follow, one of the many. She knew that they would get worse, but didn’t even care, not enough.

            They would pull into the capitol soon and then, their lives would be put in the hands of their stylists. Charlie and Castielle would share the same stylist and probably wear clothes that were quite the same. She didn’t really care about that.

            The next few weeks would be hard and complaining about this? It wasn’t going to make things easier.

 

If Castielle found anything more uncomfortable than standing in front of their stylist naked, it was that Charlie was standing next to her, quite a lot _less naked_. Charlie had been the lucky one of the two and had already been checked over. Or well, whatever you wanted to call it.

            She didn’t even like being naked around nobody but her image in the mirror. Especially around her stylist, Ellen, it was, weird, capital W weird. Still she withstood it, bit her tongue and let Ellen critique her.

            “You’re both well build,” she said with a slight smile. “We’re lucky this year.”


	3. Three

_The sound of your laugh has a ring of weariness_

_The night has a thousand eyes and your smile of heaviness_

_I’ve always asked for nothing but you’ve found it hard to see_

_So I gathered all I had and laid it down before you feet_

_I gathered all I had_

**How do you feel today? – Gabrielle Aplin**

 

After being taken under siege by Ellen, they were dressed in their chariot outfits. It was weird, wearing make-up and being dressed up. They’d be divided over two chariots for the time being. It wasn’t completely sure who was going with whom, but they’d figure that out soon enough.

            At least, that was what Castielle hoped. John was arguing with Ellen and Meg about something probably completely trivial, while they stood there, pretty much shivering. The girls were wearing dresses that reached down to their knees with a pair of sleek fitting boots, red little gems on the seams and into the dress itself.

            She had stared at it for what seemed to be hours now, but couldn't see the pattern that they were supposed to be creating. Cas guessed that she would see it later when they showed them on the bigger screens or something.

            The boys too looked, well, chic. Meg had dressed them up in a close fitting unitard. While they didn't have the red gems on them - thank god, that would be weird - they did have a red gleam on them.

            "It'll make sense when the lights shine on y'all," Ellen said with a slight smile, before escorting Charlie and Castielle a bit away from the others. "So, what your lovely mentor and I were discussing was who will be riding on the chariot with whom. I was thinking of just having you two in one and the guys in one." She rolled her eyes, "but John is still the same as before, so, each of you will be on a chariot with a boy. The other districts will probably be doing the same."

            "So, who'll be with whom?"

            "Charlie, you're up with Daniel. We asked him, he's most comfortable with you. You were friends before or something? I didn't really get what he was saying completely. You good with that?"

            "Yeah, of course."

            "So, Castielle, you're up with Dean." She just nodded absently. "Okay, let's roll."

 

Fifteen minutes later, they were on their chariots and Cas was about two hundred percent sure that she'd fall off the minute that these horses walked off. At least Dean was looking a bit surer of himself.

            "I swear, if you laugh when I fall off,” she grumbled, fingers digging into the railing of the chariot, “you’ll meet my doom later.”

            “What makes you think you’ll fall?” Dean asked her, voice clearly amused. “Have you ever seen anybody fall out of these before?” He waited until she shook her head before speaking. “So, why should you fall out?”

            “These are wobbly.”

            “It’ll smooth out once we are moving, trust me.” He squeezed her shoulder lightly, trying to reassure her and well, it worked, even if it was just a little.

 

When they left though, it didn’t get even a little less wobbly. The first few meters, she had to bite her lip not to look too worried. The capitol probably wouldn’t pay them too much attention and well, that may be best, but that didn’t mean that people had to get the notion that she wasn’t fit at all at first glance.

            Dean looked over at her a few minutes into driving, when he noticed the way that her knuckles turned white on the metal of the chariot. Castielle had clasped it a little bit too tight it seemed.

            Totally unexpected, he reached out to her hand, untangling it from the chariot and taking it in one of his. His hand felt warm in hers, offered her a lot more stability than she had thought it would.

            “Better?” he asked, a tiny smile on his lips. “You looked as if you were going to break the chariot if you held that just a little bit tighter.” He didn’t turn his face to her, kept looking around at the people in the tribunes around them.

            “Yes,” Cas muttered. She couldn’t keep the surprise from her voice. If Dean heard, he ignored it, thank him for that. “Thank you.”

            Castielle looked to Dean for a split second about hallway through, breath stopping in her throat. He seemed like he was lit up. The weird little things in the unitard that she had noticed earlier reflected the light, the pattern of a flame on his clothing clear.

            When she looked at the screens, she could see that she too seemed to be on fire, the little red gemstones on her dress reflecting too. The pattern of fire, similar to that of Dean’s clothes but different, almost seeming to be ablaze as the lights shifted and the reflexions changed. She caught Dean’s slight smile when he looked at her and the slight nod that followed.

            “Wow.” Castielle couldn’t stop the words from tumbling from her mouth. Her reflection was so different, especially her hair that she had been tempted to tug at all night. It was all incredibly awkward and annoying and she just wanted to get it out but this?

            She looked like an actual, chic girl for a change, with the dress and make-up.

 

Even though the chariot ride had been a lot better after having the safety of Dean’s hand in hers, Castielle couldn’t be any happier when she finally got off the chariot and could let go his hand. Without a doubt, his hand had been squeezed close to bruised. The second that he got his hand back, he flexed it tentatively.

            “Sorry,” she muttered, more than a little bit ashamed. “About your hand.”

            “Don’t worry,” Dean said, a slight smile on his lips, before walking over to John, who was waiting on the four of them so they could go upstairs, to their floor. Castielle followed them after Charlie and Daniel too got off their chariot, the younger boy looking a little bit shaken. The second his feet hit the ground though, he looked a lot better.

            “Let’s go up.”

 

Eve took them up to floor twelve, where they would be staying and damn. Castielle had considered the train to be big but this? This was a new kind of enormous. It easily housed all six of them, the bedrooms were tall, there was room at the dining table for eight people and the area of the room where the TV was, was probably big enough to have them all sit on the couch without anyone having to sit on the floor.

            “Wow.”

            “I know, right?” Eve said with a slight, forced smile on her lips. “Now, chop chop, we’ll have dinner served in fifteen minutes. I take it you will want to change into something a little bit more comfortable than this.” And well, Eve was right. She was dying to get out of the dress and shoes, dying to have her hair out of the braids.

 

Dinner was quite a quiet event. They ate without saying a lot to each other, just savouring the food. She was starving after barely eating on the train and well, it was food heaven on her plate.

            She saw Charlie laugh at the way she almost breathed down the food, but well, nobody complained even a little bit. That was probably for the best, considering. Last thing she wanted right now was to have somebody complain that she was eating too much.

            After a few minutes, Meg and Ellen joined them at the table and well, gone was the silence. Not that Cas minded, she kind of loved the duo of stylists. At least they made her laugh or know how to lighten the mood just a little bit.

            "Okay, everyone," John muttered after a half an hour of banter about how they did. "Why don't we go ahead and watch the recap? After, I want your asses into bed. You'll have training in the morning."

 

It was weird seeing herself on television. She hadn't watched the recap of the reaping on television, she was just too weary to do that. Now though, she could hardly get out of it. Dean and Charlie fell down on the couch on either side of her, Daniel sitting stiffly next to Meg on one of the other couches.

            The tributes of the first Districts took all the attention away from the others, and with good reason. They looked gorgeous. If only they'd radiate just a little bit friendliness. Castielle had an immediate dislike towards them. They radiated so much arrogance, as if they wouldn't even have to try, they'd go home for sure, probably even without a scratch on them.

            Only when their chariot came into view did she realize just how tightly she had been holding Dean's hand, how much support she had taken from that one hand. Even if, it didn't matter, at least not that much. She could see the exact moment that she realized that she could be proud of herself.

            Castielle was kind of surprised about that. She had always though that she was hard to read. Gabriel had always told her so, that he could never tell what she was thinking. It was so painstakingly clear on her face though, the way that her mouth fell open in a little 'o'.

            What was more captivating was the little smile on Dean's lips when he looked at her and realized. He almost looked fond of her, which she was sure she was just seeing instead of it actually being there.

            "Well done everyone," John said eventually, when they disappeared from view. "Now, off to bed. We've got a long, hard day tomorrow and you'll have to be up early."

 

Castielle tried to fall asleep, but couldn't. She tossed and turned in her bed until she eventually just gave up. It wasn't that she wasn't sleepy, she just was, nervous. Incredibly nervous for what the next day would bring.

            John had told them on the train that he didn't want them showing what they could with the other tributes around, they could go ahead and practice other things, things they knew they'd need practice with.

            For Castielle, that would be knife throwing or the plants, making a fire, simple survival skills. She knew that without a doubt, she would be one of the people to go into the arena witht the smallest chance of ever coming out of there alive. And that was okay. It had to be.

            It wasn't just the training of the next morning that was keeping her up though. It was also the fact that from now on, her friends and family would be seeing her on screen, they would see her probably stumble her way through the interview, probably mess up and get a training score that was below five, they'd see how big of a failure she really was and then in the arena, they would see her probably get almost slaughtered.

            When she dreamt, she dreamt about what it would be like in the arena. Even though she didn't wake up with a glimmer of sweat on her body, she still felt the effects of the nightmares. One morning, she had bit her lip to stop from screaming and only stopped when she tasted blood in her mouth.

            "You know, fretting will only give you headaches," a familiar voice said behind her, "not sleeping will do the same to you. Is it still too quiet?"

            "I don't know," she sighed, scooting over on the couch to make room for him, even if there was plenty of room on the other couch. Dean settled a seat away from her, pulling up his knees to mirror what she did. "I just, can't sleep. How about you?"

            He seemed to hesitate before speaking, checking if nobody else was there. "Nightmare."

            "Again?" She couldn't keep the slight worry from her voice. Cas had been there when he had his last nightmare and was pretty sure that if he'd been somewhere else, he would have been screaming instead of just muttering under his breath.

            "Nothing to worry about," he sighed, "just this place giving me the creeps." She certainly hoped that it was just that.

            "At least you got some sleep." Dean just nodded.

            "Fair point.” It looked as if he wanted to ask her something, but bit his lip. “I’ve seen you up more often than I’ve seen my father awake while we’re here and, well, it’s not like sleeps that much.”

            “This place screws with my head.” She just shrugged, clasping her hands around her cup of hot chocolate.  “I’ve been having nightmares too, I guess.” She didn’t meet his eyes as she continued speaking. “I swear, if I wake up from another one in the near future.”

            “You’ll kill somebody?”

            “Good to know my suffering is amusing to somebody,” she huffed, but couldn’t hide the tiny smile on her lip that probably to Dean that it was okay. It wasn’t like she actually meant her words, she was just so fed up with being tired and having nightmares. “But yeah, somebody will probably be killed if I have a ton of nightmares before going into the arena.”

            “So steer clear of you during training huh?” He actually threw her a kind of smile. “Well, I mainly came out here to drag you back to bed, John’s orders.”

            “John’s?” she asked, quite surprised. She didn’t even know that he knew that she was up that often.

            “Yeah, he noticed last time, told me to send you back if I noticed you up again.”

            “How about you? Shouldn’t you be turning in too then? You can’t just lecture me about going to bed and then crawl back onto the couch you know.” She smiled.  “Pot meet kettle.”

            “Got me there.”

 

They woke up the next morning by John’s grumbling. Castielle hadn’t even noticed when she fell asleep, only knew that Dean had still been awake that night. Had to have been really, because her blanket was covering her. She sighed, enjoying the warmth before burying herself in it deeper. She didn’t think that she’d had any nightmares for a change, which was certainly welcome. She felt just that little bit better rested than the nights before.

            “If you don’t wake up, there’ll be cold water,” John grumbled. His voice sounded distant though and she really hadn’t expected there to be _actual_ freaking cold water that felt like ice the second that it hit her body. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you kid.”

            “I hate you,” she groaned before stalking off, not missing the laugh that followed her. Even from the distance, she could tell that it was Dean. “And you too! Culprit!” This was followed by even more laughter. Damn Winchesters.


End file.
